Mira was seated at the back of a very luxurious SUV while she clutched the velvet robe she had on like it was the only thing that was holding her together. Which, given her current flimsy dress and bare feet, it kinda did.
She was starting to regret yelling as if she had anywhere to go in the first place. Maybe she should have just accepted it?
Lorena didn't exactly even have a dime at the moment, so why on earth was she acting like a catch?
Outside, the world was quite normal as people carried shopping bags, drank coffee, and completely faced their own individual lives while she was drowning in so many unbelievable drama.
She decided to cling to hope.
Fine. He let me go. I don't have to stay with such a man? I'll just get dropped at the Sanders' mansion. I might not have had loving family but Lorena sure does, her dad was rich after all and her mother also loves her dearly. Heck, she even has an older brother who dotes on her so much.
They would all have no problem holding her up for now. They're my… family.
She eyed the back of the driver's head. The mountain man.
He hadn't said a word since he'd basically thrown her into the car minutes ago.
"So," she said, her voice coming out loud because of the silence. "Mountain man. What's your actual name? 'Big guy who drives and breaks cameras' is kinda mouthful. And mountain man is not exactly great either."
The driver didn't even flinch. He kept his eyes on the road and acted like he had not heard anything.
"What? Did cat get your tongue or something?" Mira pressed as she leaned forward between the seats. "Or does your master not allow you to talk without permission?"
The man still refused to respond, not even a twitch. Mira could almost bet he was a statue.
She slumped back with a roll of her eyes and then she frowned as she looked out the window.
The shops she was seeing were getting trendier and younger. Less old money mansion and more overpriced juice bars and thrift stores. There was also a small university campus.
This definitely could not be the route to the estate the Sanders lived in? That wasn't possible.
I may be new to this whole rich people thing but even I know they don't live above a vegan tattoo parlour.
"Uh, mountain man?" she said as unease started to fill her body. "This isn't the way to the Sanders' home. You missed a turn. Or twelve even."
The car slowed and then pulled over to the curb in a very bustling area. There were students with backpacks, shoppers with bags, and so many people.
Mountain man put the car in park and turned. His expression was of nothing. "Get out."
Mira blinked. Once then twice. She then let out a short nervous laugh. "Excuse me? Is this some kind of joke? What do you mean get out? Very funny. Now take me home!"
The driver didn't laugh. Instead, he got out of the car, walked around, and yanked her door open.
Before she could even process snatching, his hand clamped around her arm and he hauled her out of the car and onto the pavement.
"Hey!" she yelped as she scrambled for balance. The robe gaped open and she quickly clutched it shut while her face burned with humiliation. "What the fuck do you think you're doing? What do you think your stupid boss would do to you when I tell him this, you…"
Jack leaned down, his face very close to hers. His breath smelled of coffee. "Feel a little of exactly what it is that you deserve," he said.
And then he got back into the car, slammed the door, and zoomed off.
Unbelievable! Mira thought as her face burned red. What the actual fuck?
She didn't even have the time to think about what the hell was happening as she noticed people were starting to look at her and she couldn't risk getting noticed. Not with her current face. Lorena wasn't exactly loved by anyone right now.
She wished she had been given a scarf or shoes at least.
She ducked her head while trying to use her hair as a shield.
At least the darn long thing was useful on a day like this.
She started to walk fast in the first direction she could think of but a woman in a ridiculously expensive robe, barefoot and wide-eyed, wasn't exactly going to be unnoticed.
Heads began to turn.
Two college girls whispered to each other. "She has to be around here, someone online said she'd be here."
Mira was shocked at that.
They couldn't mean her, right? She was literally dropped seconds ago so how could someone already know where she was unless it was planned beforehand?
A man holding a coffee suddenly halted in his steps and squinted. "Lorena Sanders?"
And that was all it took.
Everything happened so fast as if someone had yelled "free money!" into a megaphone. It was like getting swarmed by bees.
One second, she was trying to get away invisibly and the next, she was the center of a screaming, phone-waving storm.
"Murderer!"
"Bully!"
"She killed Alie!"
Not knowing what to do but knowing she had to say something, Mira yelled back in a cracking voice. "I never did anything to this Alie girl, please. How am I getting blamed for someone else's choices?"
It was the wrong thing to say because anything she said was going to be twisted the wrong way and that was exactly what happened.
A girl with pink hair scoffed. "So are you admitting that you drove her to suicide?"
Another voice came, louder this time. "She's even proud of it. We need to purge the world of someone like this before she brings ruins to us all!"
A paper cup suddenly flew past Mira's head, splattering coffee on her robe.
Someone else lunged forward and intentionally smeared red lipstick all across the pale velvet. "Here! Blood definitely looks good on you."
So much fear seemed to override the shock Mira was feeling as she knew she had to get out of there before these people did even worse.
So she shoved through the crowd while ignoring her robe that continued to slip dangerously.
She had to run. She had to get to somewhere safe and…
Her eyes suddenly landed on a black SUV parked up ahead. She was sure it was the same one she was in just minutes ago and when the window rolled down, it confirmed it for her because in the back seat was Lucas.
He was watching her with an expression that looked like he was watching a funny movie.
But relief still flooded through Mira's chest as she was certain he was here to help.
"Lucas!" she screamed as she fought her way towards the car. "Finally! Let's get out of here fast!"
She was within a few meters, close enough to see the amusement and cold glare on his face.
And then the SUV's engine started and Mira watched as it sped away and disappeared into the traffic.
She stumbled into a fast halt while her arm was still stretched out. She felt like she had to be dreaming because she couldn't have just seen him zoom off.
The confusion and betrayal she felt was so much. It was like she had been punched in the face.
Hands suddenly grabbed at her robe, pulling her back to the present as she realized that the mob had caught up with her.
Someone yanked at her hair as the shouts got uglier and more violent.
"Strip her! People like her need to be taken out of the world before they ruin more lives!" a voice yelled.
"Film her! She needs to know how it feels!"
Mira started to kick blindly while screaming as desperation was now taking over her.
She knew she could not fight against them anymore because they were now pulling her more into the crowd.
But then the blare of sirens cut through the noise as red and blue lights flashed.
Police officers pushed through the mob with batons in their hands as they dispersed the crowd with sharp commands.
Mira sobbed with so much relief as her tears mixed with whatever was now on her face.
"Finally! Oh thank you! Thank you so much."
She said breathlessly as she reached for the nearest officer, a woman with a stern face.
The officer grabbed her stretched out wrist, twisted it behind her back, and snapped a cold metal cuff around it.
Mira was so shocked and confused. "What the hell are you doing? They should be arrested not me? They attacked me! That's not legal no matter what!"
The officer ignored her as she grabbed the other wrist and then in a very bored voice, like she had done this so many times, she spoke.
"Lorena Sanders, you're under arrest for tax evasion. For harassment and defamation in the industry. For civil liability in the death of Alie Thompson. And for fraudulent breach of contract."